'Culture of misogyny' blamed for missed warning signs in murdered showjumper probe in Northern Ireland

A review into the killing of a showjumper highlighted a "culture of misogyny and complacency" within a Northern Irish police force, similar to that identified in the Sarah Everard case.

Officers originally believed 21-year-old Katie Simpson had tried to take her own life after an incident in the village of Lettershandoney, Co Londonderry, on 3 August 2020. Ms Simpson, from Tynan, Co Armagh, died a week later in hospital.

It was not until March 2021 that Jonathan Creswell, the partner of Ms Simpson's sister, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The trial of Creswell, 36, for the murder of Ms Simpson ended in April 2024 after he took his own life following the first day of proceedings.

The independent review led by Dr Jan Melia, which was commissioned by the Department of Justice, found that "not one officer thought seriously about abuse/control" in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) investigation in 2020.

It cited "systematic failures" and also criticised other bodies, including social services and the health service, over safeguarding, as well as within the equestrian sector.

It found officers failed to identify inconsistencies in Creswell's account, neglected to preserve vital evidence, overlooked forensic scenes and opportunities, dismissed key witness statements and failed to secure/examine crucial digital communications such as text messages and phone records that might have revealed patterns of abuse.

It also found that police officers demonstrated a striking lack of professional curiosity, failed to employ an investigative mindset or consider the possibility of abuse/control, despite clear warning signs.

Ms Simpson had been going to a horse yard close to her home in Tynan from the age of eight up to three times a week to ride and care for horses.

Abusive behaviour behind 'charming facade'

Creswell, who worked at that yard and was dating her sister, had groomed her from the age of 10, subjecting her to a "brutal regime of grooming, coercive control, verbal degradation and physical abuse", according to the review report.

The grooming and abusive behaviour was concealed behind a "charming facade".

The report looked into 16 hospital visits by Ms Simpson between 2003 and 2020, each with increasingly severe injuries, which were explained as being due to horse riding, and found the pattern should have prompted closer examination.

Meanwhile, Creswell was found to have had a long-term pattern of persistent and escalating offending that included motoring offences, dangerous driving, animal abuse, indecent exposure, suspected fraud and domestic abuse.

The report noted that 37 people, both female and male, have come forward to say they were abused by Creswell.

A Police Ombudsman report previously concluded that the investigation was hindered by a misleading working assumption adopted by several officers that Ms Simpson's injuries were self-inflicted, describing the investigation as "flawed" and said it "failed the Simpson family".

The PSNI apologised to Ms Simpson's family in 2024.

The independent review found a series of failings, from failing to treat her death as suspicious, deficiencies in scene management, neglect of forensic evidence, oversight of suspect history, inadequate witness strategy, fragmented leadership and accountability and limited disciplinary action for the officers identified for misconduct.

There were also discrepancies in information given by Creswell, a lack of investigation into evidence given by members of the public and poor communication with Ms Simpson's family, the report said.

'Institutional misogyny'

It also found "institutional misogyny", including referring to Creswell as a "bad boy" rather than "acknowledging him as a violent perpetrator", with the review concluding that this choice of language "trivialises male aggression, dismissing harmful behaviour and ultimately protects male perpetrators, simultaneously undermining the credibility of female victims".

It added: "Institutional misogyny reinforces risk, allowing it to be minimised; it dismisses women's experiences, creating and sustaining a culture where female victims are disbelieved, and perpetrators are given credibility and power.

"This was precisely the case for Katie: not one officer thought seriously about abuse/control.

"Katie's lived experience was disregarded, clear warning signs were ignored, established protocols were treated as optional/discretionary, and police chose to privilege Creswell's account.

"Seeing this kind of language use by police draws attention to the concerns raised in the Angiolini Review [Into Ms Evererd's case] and highlights how institutional cultures and communication practices perpetuate misogyny," it found.

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The review made 16 recommendations. Many of these are focused on training, including the "urgent need for trauma-informed training, gender-sensitive risk assessment, and a cultural shift within the PSNI, that challenges and changes its own institutional misogyny".

More safeguarding for young women

Ms Simpson's mother, Noeleen Mullan, said the report of the review's findings had been "hard to read", noting "so many things were missed, not done properly and it felt like there was a "lack of care for Katie from the police".

Speaking on Tuesday, she urged there had to be more safeguards to protect young women in equestrianism.

The Katie Trust, set up in Ms Simpson's memory, welcomed the review as representing a "significant and necessary step toward transparency and accountability".

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Culture of misogyny' blamed for missed warning signs in murdered showjumper probe in Nor